Online Resources Not Always Easier

Littered Websites Easy to Access, but Quick to Confuse

After receiving an ID, students must try to decipher their next enrollment steps. Many institutions have placed content online to ease this process. However, it’s not enough just to go digital.

A second barrier students face when trying to self-serve is navigating the sheer amount of information available on institutional websites. While the proliferation of online content is the result of wellintentioned initiatives, it can cause students to feel lost. With so much generic information online, students have trouble identifying relevant content at the right time.

In 2009, William Rainey Harper College spent $400,000 on software licensing, consulting, internal staff time, and technological maintenance for a new student web portal. Despite the heavy investment, the portal did not simplify online navigation for new students. A flurry of tabs, links, and irrelevant content led users to rate the portal very poorly on internal surveys. In light of this feedback, the staff at Harper searched for a new way to present information online in a way that made selfservice easier for students.

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